Jul 04

British financial sector thrives after Brexit

Government trusters everywhere denounced the vote by Brits to leave the European Union two years ago.

Almost every pro-government economist, financial columnist and figurehead predicted financial calamity would fall upon the people of Britain for daring to be independent.

But a review by Max Colchester and Patricia Kowsmann in the Wall Street Journal finds that Britain remains the financial crown of all Europe.

“Brexit was meant to be a crippling blow to London’s position as the financial capital of Europe.” But two years later, London “remains mostly undiminished, and no single other European city is close to claiming its crown.”

“The amount of international lending channeled through U.K.-based banks INCREASED between the [Brexit] vote and the end of 2017.” See here.

Jul 04

Socialist California has gone from the 5th largest economy in the world to the 7th

Forget the overuse of the terms “liberal” and “democratic.”

A more accurate description is pro-government. California’s “leaders” have driven its policies in an extreme pro-government direction for 30 years.

One-third of the nation’s welfare recipients are in California, which has only one-eighth of U.S. population.

See here. “What Happens When Democrats Run Your State?”

California has the highest poverty rate in the nation.

Its massive government consumes 1/3 more of state GDP than in that of Texas.

Similar to Venezuela, California has lost much of its business sector in recent years. 9,000 businesses have left the state in the past 7 years.

Jul 03

65% of Americans say “the system is rigged”

Many Americans have lost faith in elections and government.

A poll by Frank Luntz shows that 65% of surveyed Americans agreed that “the system in America is rigged against everyday, ordinary Americans.” See here.

Jul 01

Fanatical government truster arrested for death threats over “net neutrality”

During the Obama years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a tyrannical step to take over control of the internet.

They called it “net neutrality”–and it was promoted as an idea to equalize internet access and stop evil internet corporations from charging different rates for different streaming speeds.

Under the ‘net neutrality’ regulations, internet providers would need to be government licensed, and government agents would monitor and control internet traffic and content.

Many fanatical government trusters were tricked into believing that internet corporations had plans to charge the rich less than the poor, or to boost corporations over individuals, or something.

Government agencies, and THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS (acting mostly in secret, in an effort to keep competition down) were quite successful in drumming up support for the net neutrality scam.

When Trump became president, the FCC switched to Republican control, and Trump’s pick for FCC chair Ajit Pai, decided to abolish the ‘net neutrality’ idea. Pai pointed out that in the two years of net neutrality, investment in internet ingenuity had decreased significantly.

The internet was free again.

Fanatical government trusters were outraged. Pai and other anti-net-neutrality voices became targets of death threats.

Now one fanatical government truster has been arrested for sending an email to Pai saying “I will find your children and I will kill them.” See here.

Jun 28

War on whistleblowers: federal agents pound on door of whistleblower and try to silence him DURING LIVE CBS INTERVIEW

Every government seeks the same powers: to obtain and control all property and all freedom, to require ‘transparancy’ from all subjects so that subjects may keep no secrets from government and must lay naked before the state (while concealing the inner workings of government from any public scrutiny), and to cage or kill all who resist.

Here is a story of a CBS reporter doing a live interview with an I.C.E. whistleblower who was revealing that I.C.E.–and not the Oakland mayor–gave the order for I.C.E. to stop immigration enforcement in Oakland earlier this year. (Apparently, the higher-ups in the Department of Homeland Security–fearing political repurcussions, or perhaps retribution by the President–wanted all ‘blame’ placed on the mayor and not their own agency.)

During the midst of the CBS interview, high-ranking federal officials pounded on the whistleblower’s door to try to stop the interview. See here.

Jun 27

Bozeman Daily Chronicle declares regulations and forced redistribution a “glimmer of hope” for the poor in Big Sky

Under the unlikely headline “Big Sky affordable housing sees glimmer of hope in resort tax funding,” the Bozeman Daily Chronicle printed a bizarre story on June 27.

Big Sky is Montana’s wealthiest town–where millionaires ski, golf and recreate and real estate prices are sky high.

Prices are high because the town is hemmed in on all sides by public land. Regulations and covenants further increase costs. (RV Parks or trailer parks are virtually prohibited). Big Sky is similar to other high-reg, strict-zoning, public-land-enveloped places such as Aspen, Park City, and San Francisco in this way.

A six-year-old could easily diagnose the problem (if high real estate values are a problem). And the solution. Deregulation would quickly provide more affordable housing for poor Big Sky residents.

But in the eyes of government trusters (and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle), the solution lies in more regulation and more government redistribution schemes.

Montana has no sales tax except in “resort” areas–and Big Sky has declared itself such an area. “Nonprofits” must apply for grants to have government officials dispense the ‘resort tax’ dollars to them.

And this year the government board dispensed almost $2 million to various nonprofit “affordable housing” condo projects.

“The fact that the resort tax board earmarked such a large sum for affordable housing is a clear marker of its understanding of the severity of the community’s housing crunch,” the Chronicle reported (quoting an interested groupie/developer).

No this was not a story in The Onion.

Jun 27

Electric car programs take money from the poor and give it to the rich –and Americans oppose them by wide margins

Government trusters often promote various “alternative energy” schemes designed to wean society off of fossil fuels.

One scheme is to have government pay companies to make electric cars. And to subsidize consumers to purchase said cars. And to pay gas stations to install electric charging stations, etc.

American taxpayers have been forced to pay billions on such schemes. Tesla alone received $860 million throughout the last three years.

New data show what we already know. Such schemes are a redistribution from poor taxpayers to the rich. The vast majority of purchasers of Tesla cars are in the top income tiers.

Rich Tesla drivers get “free” electricity at charging stations (paid by poorer taxpayers and utility customers).

The reverse Robin Hood system of spreading the wealth to the wealthy is under severe scrutiny. A new American Energy Alliance poll reveals that an overwhelming 67 percent of voters “are resistant to the idea that they should pay for people to buy electric vehicles,” while “nearly in 7 in 10 respondents, or 69 percent, agreed that electricity customers should not be forced to pay for the cars’ recharging stations.”

See here.

Jun 25

Venezuelan military now makes thirsty Venezuelans pay for water

Socialism bills itself as a system to help the needy. Socialists believe that water, health care, food, and other commodities should be distributed by the government.

Bloomberg News is out with a report that in socialist Venezuela, the poor, starving and thirsty subjects are now made to pay the military for drinking water.

And the Venezuelan public water system is suffering from years of lack of maintenance. See here.

Jun 24

Glenn Beck’s media empire crumbles

Pro-government “Conservative” Glenn Beck’s multimedia empire The Blaze “appears to be on its last legs after another round of layoffs,” according to The Daily Beast.

TheBlaze once generated a reported $90 million in revenue annually, but has been in a slow motion implosion over the past several years. Top-level managerial shakeups, seemingly ceaseless layoffs, and office closures have depleted morale, tanked the site’s web traffic, and caused cable distributors to jump ship.and after a prospective high-profile buyer lost interest.

Beck now reportedly has fewer than 30 employees.

Beck’s content is widely thought to be CIA-generated. The “mainstream” (government supporting and supported) media sometimes describes Beck as edgy or pushing ‘conspiracy theories.’ But Beck’s edgy ‘conspiracy theories’ are those wholly approved by the deep state and the military-industrial complex. Beck paints a preposterous picture of American policy being secretly driven by Muslims (a fake narrative pushed by the Neocon establishment), but refuses to embrace any suggestion that the government has lied about the events of 9/11.

Beck loudly decried the 2014 standoff between Bundy supporters and the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, saying the American people should never have made demands on government authorities to leave the area.

Beck sometimes describes himself as libertarian, yet constantly pushes a pro-police, pro-military expansion agenda. Beck initially supported the banker bailouts of 2008 but then switched gears after it became clear the American people opposed the bailouts by wide margins.

Beck is suffering the same fate as pro-government media everywhere. The public simply won’t tune in to hear worn out demands that Americans must always trust the state.

Jun 23

Turkish government media impose blackout of political challengers on TV

Turkey is preparing for a national election. President Erdogan appears to be in jeopardy of losing his office.

So in the final days of Erdogan’s campaign, official Turkish TV and news sources have imposed a virtual blackout on any discussion of Erdogan’s opponents.

One opponent, Muharrem Ince, addressed a crowd of 4 million in Istanbul without any coverage on government TV. Erdogan, by contrast, spoke before much smaller groups and received widespread news coverage. See here.